James Bond Marathon pt I: Dr No

[Rigel]

Well, I did it. I sat down and watched a 50 year old spy movie based on pulp fiction which went on to become a world-wide phenomenon.

And in some ways, I rather enjoyed it

OK, first, my negative reactions. James Bond is certainly a misogynistic womanizer; the womanizing doesn't bother me (as a godless drunken whore, I take pride in being a slut), but the misogyny is a bit of a shock. No more so than other movies of the era (see: the Universal monster movies of the 40s and 50s, where women can be shown as tough as assertive, but turn into decorations whenever a "real man" walks into the room (for instance, the reporter's reactions to both the scientist and the fighter pilot in The Deadly Mantis)).

One particular line stood out to me. Having recently met Honey Ryder, she relates to Bond how she suffered rape at the hands of an older acquaintance, and how she in turn poisoned him with a black widow spider. She asks, "Did I do wrong?" And Bond replies, "It wouldn't do to make a habit of it."

Personally, I'm fine with the idea of rape-revenge stories (Kill Bill and Maleficent were both very enjoyable {although I never saw KB2; maybe I should get to that one of these days}), so I'd encourage Honey to make a habit of it.

Speaking of Bond, Sean Connery is drastically different here then how I know him. My first acquaintance with him was 30 years later in The Hunt for Red October, and I didn't even recognize him as James Bond until I heard his voice. Having watched the whole film, I can see that his smile hasn't changed, though the rest of his face changed dramatically over the years. Still, it's a great smile, and a great voice!

OK, enough with the periphery, now on to the story itself: on the one hand, it was much more grounded than I expected, with none of the ridiculousness or camp of the later movies (no ejector seats in his car, no pen that doubles as a satellite radio). Most of the movie was a traditional gum-shoe detective story, with Bond trying to figure out what happened to his colleague, Strangways.

...until we get to Crab Island, and meet Dr No.

Really? Just... Really?

I mean... his whole evil plan is that he stole a bunch of money from some Asian gangs (I think it was the Triads, but it could have been the Yakuza), and now he's going to interrupt a NASA rocket launch. To which Bond replies, "The old World Domination bit, eh?"

Because NASA = World Domination

Maybe I missed a key line of dialogue or something, but his abuse of the local populace (flat out murdering anyone who visits his island) seems a much bigger concern to me than his interference with NASA. Also, his motivation for doing so: "I offered them my help, and they turned me down!" It seems rather childish.

Anyway, I enjoyed the movie more than I expected, so that's something. I'll give it 3.5/5

[Hashi Lebwohl]

At the time of the novel and subsequent movie--there are noticeable difference between the two--NASA was a matter of national security and secrecy for the United States because the Space Race was a race against the Soviet Union. The plot of the movie itself doesn't stand up to the test of time because social norms and ideas, not to mention the geopolitical landscape, have changed so dramatically.

Dr. No had stolen money from the Tongs; they cut off his hands in the novel but in the movie he claims to have lost his hands due to not being careful around his nuclear reactor (not present in the novel).

Trivia: as Bond (in the movie) is walking through No's lair he stops and takes a second look at a painting of the Duke of Wellington; this painting had, in real life, been stolen in 1961 (the year before the film), an art crime that made a big splash in the newspapers in England at the time.

My biggest objection to the film is the overuse of the Bond theme music. It plays so often and is so repetitive that is distracts from the enjoyment of the movie itself.

[Rigel]

Trivia: as Bond (in the movie) is walking through No's lair he stops and takes a second look at a painting of the Duke of Wellington; this painting had, in real life, been stolen in 1961 (the year before the film), an art crime that made a big splash in the newspapers in England at the time.

Ah, I wondered about that painting. I noticed the focus but didn't know the significance

My biggest objection to the film is the overuse of the Bond theme music. It plays so often and is so repetitive that is distracts from the enjoyment of the movie itself.

Another point I noticed. I chalked it up to them not knowing how popular Bond was going to be, and as a result how pervasive the theme was going to be, in pop culture.

[wayfriend]

I am glad to see this happening, Rigel!

I think I saw Dr. No once a long while ago. If I recall, this is the movie that established the trope of the cat-stroking villian?

[Hashi Lebwohl]

I think I saw Dr. No once a long while ago. If I recall, this is the movie that established the trope of the cat-stroking villian?

Unfortunately not--our first sighting of Blofeld came next year in From Russia With Love (1963); the movies were released in reversed order compared to the novels. We never actually see Blofeld's face (played by Donald Pleasance) until You Only Live Twice (1967).

Interestingly, the actor who is Bond's MI5 contact Tokyo in that movie would later play Blofeld in Diamond Are Forever.

Another interesting bit of social trivia related to Dr. No: this movie introduced American society to the Nehru jacket, a fashion trend that would not survive the 1960s.

[sgt.null]

Julie loves the Bond films. I enjoyed them as a kid, but they seem to get bloated around the Moore era.



but I did always appreciate the Bond girls.

[Avatar]

Hey, you took our advice.

--A